Openreach invests £12mn to improve broadband connectivity in Powys
Fay Jones MP recently joined up with some of the Openreach engineers that have been busy building a new fast fibre broadband network across her Brecon and Radnorshire constituency. She was given a tour of the work, which is making faster ‘full fibre’ broadband available to homes and businesses in the local area.
Nearly 40% of premises across Powys can already benefit from Openreach’s investment which when complete will total around [£12.4 million (€11.29 million)] and bring some of the fast broadband speeds to the area.
The tour started with a visit to the telephone exchange in Builth Wells.
At the exchange the MP was able to see up close the art of fibre splicing – where two ends of fibre optic glass cable no wider than a human hair are fused together. This piece of engineering plays a vital role in Openreach’s full fibre network that’s already connected more than 11m properties across the UK.
After the Builth Wells exchange it was a short journey through the town to see the ‘final stage’ of the Openreach full fibre network and to talk to local engineers that are delivering this technology to communities across Powys.
With this investment, residents and businesses in Powys can expect improved connectivity, reduced latency, and the ability to utilise bandwidth-intensive applications and services. Fast broadband can also attract new businesses, promote economic growth, and enhance digital inclusion by providing equal opportunities for education, employment, and innovation.
Fay Jones MP says: “Good connectivity is essential for my constituents so it’s welcome to see the investment Openreach are making to our communities.”
“It was great to see first-hand the technology that’s being used by Openreach and residents and businesses they will really benefit from this increase in broadband speed and improved reliability.”
“Full fibre broadband is revolutionising the way we all live and work and it’s imperative that Brecon and Radnorshire is not left behind,” adds Jones.
The visit was hosted by Martin Williams, partnership director for Wales, who says: “We welcomed the opportunity to give Fay an overview of our ultrafast network.”
“Our investment across Powys demonstrates Openreach’s commitment to improving digital infrastructure and bridging the digital divide.”
“Our engineers work hard every day to keep communities across Powys and the rest of Wales connected, and it was great to be able to share the challenges and realities of delivering this technology.”
“I would urge everyone in the local area to keep an eye on the build locally to see when full fibre is available to them. They can visit the Openreach fibre checker, which is regularly updated with our build progress and when full fibre is available in specific areas,” adds Williams.
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